Link dreamt of verdant green eyes.

He's seen them before. In the dream, thy were blue and brown and green and grey. It didn't matter; they were still hers. For a long moment, he wondered if he'd truly gone mad. This girl was no one to him, so why didn't she feel that way?

"How is she?"

Link's eyes shot open.

He reached for his throat, feeling his bandaged wound. His hand came away with beads of sweat stuck to his fingertips, and he was breathing heavily.

"It's okay, it's just me," the voice was his mother's.

He nodded, blinking sleep from his eyes. "Sorry, what?"

"How is she?"

Instinctively, his hand tightened around Zelda's, his thumb running a quick line along the back of hers before letting go. He stood up, offering his mom his seat. Instead, he sat beside Zelda on the bed.

With every turn of his neck, Link's neck stung. Though Maiamai had covered his wound for him, Link was reminded of Zelda's hands pulling him back, despite how fragile her body was in this state. Seeing her sleep a full day had made him realize just how worn out she'd been.

"She's still sleeping."

His mother sat down. "It's been almost a full day since she's last been awake. You're sure she's okay?"

Her words weren't addressed to Link. They were to Mama Maiamai. But still, he stiffened. Was she okay?

"She's bone tired, worn down and physically injured. That's not to say what emotional damage being kidnapped from your home will do to a person. And her body is tense and frightened, attentive to every sound. She's been alone at night for who knows how long, and she's heard Din herself walking around her. This girl knows what it's like to feel death watching, and if she wasn't careful, she'd have the hand of Din to guide her back to her resting place."

Link's mother turned to him, putting her hand on his leg. "She trusts you. You saved her, and she saved you in return. I think she'd feel most comfortable if you're the one who stays with her when she wakes. Are you alright with that, Link?"

Link turned to Zelda. She was finally sleeping peacefully after a few hours of tossing and turning. His hand twitched, itching to brush the hair out of her face so she might sleep even sounder.

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"Doesn't help at all that she's gorgeous," Numan said, waltzing into the room behind everyone, uncaring of how loud his voice boomed. He crossed his eyes and wriggled his eyebrows at Link.

"Shh," Link hissed, realizing his hand kept creeping closer to Zelda. He pulled it to his lap so he could keep track of what it was doing. "She's asleep."

"Doesn't make her any less gorgeous, so my point stands. That's the only reason you're hanging around her. I'll sit with her if you're tired, Mr. Hero. I certainly don't mind."

Maiamai scoffed. "Oh, you're not staying with her after that comment, Numan."

Link scoffed ignoring Numan, but his mother knelt in front of him. "You should sleep. I can sit with her. You had several long days that you weren't prepared for, and you deserve some proper rest. You've done so well. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks," he said with an embarrassed glance at Numan. "Yeah, if you're staying with her, I'll go sleep for a few hours."

"I will," she promised, urging him and Numan to leave the tent with several flicks of her wrist.

When Link arrived back at home, he laid down on the hard mattress and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep for hours. His father was already snoring by the time Link had gotten home, and Link watched Aryll for a bit, concerned that she might fall out of their parents' bed that she shared with them for lack of enough space in their small home for a third bed. She was practically hanging off the edge. But when she did nothing to indicate that she was going to roll off for nearly another hour, Link's eyes finally closed.

Again, he dreamt of Zelda. This time, it was her, not some dream-version where she looked different. It was the same Zelda he saw in front of him in Mama Maiamai's hut. It was this girl he'd fixated on.

And then, he saw the bright red glow of the Goddess of Death, her hand reaching out to both him and Zelda.

His eyes flung open, clutching his chest as he tried to breathe normally once more. He was still exhausted, as if he hadn't slept at all, but one look out the window told him he'd gotten several hours at least.

Blinking away sleep from his eyes, he changed his clothes and headed outside into the bright light of the rising sun.

Though everything in him screamed to go see if Zelda was okay, he went to check the fishing traps that his family had left in the water. They weren't full yet. He was tempted to lie in the hammock that was tied to two palm fruit trees, but that too would have been pointless. All of it just felt like he was wasting time rather than being productive.

Aimlessly, he wandered the village until he stopped on the beach again, burying his feet into the warm sand. He heard someone clear their throat, and he turned to see his father.

"Having fun staring at nothing?"

Link scoffed, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Am I crazy?"

"Yes," his father laughed. But when he saw Link's serious expression, his softened. "What do you mean?"

Link felt suddenly embarrassed that he'd brought it up at all. "I just… I can't stop thinking about that girl. Zelda. I feel crazy."

His father grinned but did his best to keep his face expressionless otherwise. "Well, I think—given the circumstances of you two meeting—it's understandable. She was involved in your first fight. She's the first person you've ever had to actually defend. You brought her in. You stayed by her side all day yesterday. And she's someone new in your life. I think that it's very reasonable that your mind is on her."

Link breathed out a sigh, relieved that his father had carefully danced around stating the obvious: "You have a crush on this girl."

"Are you going to relieve your mother of her vigil?"

Link nodded and kicked some of the sand away from him. "Yeah. I was taking the scenic route though."

"So that you won't have to see Zelda sooner?"

Rolling his eyes, Link brushed past his father. "Thank you for your help, dad."

"Anytime!" he chuckled, patting his son's shoulder as he walked by.

Link headed up the hill and went to the training tent where all of the village's weapons were kept. Though there were mostly spears and harpoons, he preferred the sword. He was one of the few in the village who had this preference, which made training a bit harder, but he never relented on his insistence. He had no intention to train that morning, but he picked up the sword anyway and swung it around gracefully a few times before setting it back. It always felt good in his hand.

"—and they said that Nayru's Protection itself stayed Din's Hand from taking him."

Link narrowed his eyes and slowed down, letting his ears perk at the conversation.

"Yeah, and then he grabbed the girl and hauled her away! I told you he was unkillable."

"Do you remember the shark incident?"

Link snorted, unnoticed by whoever had been speaking, and walked away. His hand drifted to the shark tooth he kept tied on a low rope around his neck and beneath his shirt. It was his good luck charm, though it had come at a cost, but he never took it off. As he tried to escape the gossip, he could hear footsteps following him.

"Link, stop."

He turned to see Sebasto headed in his direction. The old warrior swung a sword around before untying its sheath from his waist and setting it down with the village's other weapons. Sebasto was the only other warrior who was proficient with a sword, and he had become Link's primary teacher. But instead, Sebasto grabbed a harpoon.

"You were brave to go after that girl, but you were so incredibly stupid. I cannot believe you went there without waiting for backup. I thought I taught you better. You could have been killed. You're so lucky. What happened out there was luck, not skill."

"I know, I'm sorry. I saw her and…"

"You shouldn't have gotten that close in the first place. You should have waited."

"Yes, Sebasto, I'm sorry."

"See that it doesn't happen again, or you'll either be sent back to training, or dead. I don't want you dead, Link, so do not pull a stunt like that again, not for some pretty girl, not even for your sister. You wait. You wait so you don't die and so you don't endanger our village."

Link nodded, taking several steps back. "Yes, sir; I'll be sure it doesn't happen again."

Sebasto nodded and grabbed Link's shoulder. "That said… well done." He took the harpoon and headed down to the beach, leaving Link by the weapons.

And even then, he hadn't intended to go to Zelda yet, but that's exactly where his feet brought him.

He nodded to his mother, who was sitting beside Zelda with Mama Maiamai. But as he walked closer, what he hadn't expected was to see Zelda sitting up, a steaming cup in her hand.

Zelda beamed as she looked at Link, and he couldn't help but return her smile.

He knelt beside his mom, lacking room other than practically sitting on Zelda. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. So, she tried again as Link waited.

She swallowed visibly before rasping out, "Thank you."

"Of course. And thank you. You saved me from an unwanted decapitation. Are you feeling a little better?"

Nodding was all she could do, but she looked away shyly. Link was almost sure he could see her blush as she did, turning her face into the dark shadow that was cast just off to her side so none could catch her expression.

Link cleared his throat, glancing quickly at his mother. This girl was attractive, and that was not something he wanted his mom to notice in the way his cheeks pinked up and how he couldn't look at the girl without smiling.

His mom had a sort of second sense about her children, and the moment Link looked away, her expression turned smug. "Maiamai, would you come outside with me for a moment?"

Link bit his lip, knowing that she'd done it for him. She'd already figured it out.

But when the room was clear, Link wasted little time. "Mind if I sit?"

She shook her head and Link took his mother's seat just in front of Zelda. "It still hurts to talk, then?"

Zelda mouthed 'yes.'

"Well, I love talking. I can talk enough for the both of us."

Zelda laughed, that same light, airy laugh that had Link questioning his own ears.

"So, you were on the run from those guys, huh?"

Zelda held up six fingers.

"Six… people captured you?"

She shook her head and mimed sleeping.

"Oh, six days?" Link tried again, this time, earning an approving grin and head nod. "Gods, that's awful. What did you do for food?" He stopped himself, realizing he hadn't asked a yes or no question. "Sorry, don't try to answer that. Let me rephrase: did you find things to eat?"

Zelda smiled at his attempts to keep communicating with her. It was kind of him. She nodded.

"Well, I make a mean roasted bass. If your throat ends up feeling better, I'll make it for you."

That was how it started with Zelda.

He'd spent the entire day talking with her, or rather, finding different ways of trying. Their conversations had to stay simple: things she could nod or shake her head to. When they became more complex, simply because he was interested in her answers, she'd try to mouth a short response that he would try to guess—though it was mostly an incorrect guess on his part. It was amusing, if nothing else, and it seemed to set Zelda at ease while being in a strange village with no one she knew.

The next day, Link had gone back early, finding her asleep. He'd sat beside her, closing his eyes for a bit, only to open them again with her drinking broth from a bowl, listening to Mama Maiamai tell her a story.

When she turned to Link, her eyes ever-sparkling, she pressed her hand gingerly to her throat.

"Hi," she rasped out.

Link couldn't help the shocked face he made at hearing her broken voice, but it was quickly replaced by excitement.

"Hi."

"Maybe…" she cleared her throat, earning a warning look from Maiamai to take it easy. "Maybe I can ask you some questions today?" She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, winded from trying to force the words through her hoarse throat. But she looked proud of herself, victorious at the level of progress she'd made since coming to the village.

Maiamai placed a bowl of soup beside Link, offering him a meal. "I'll be around if either of you needs anything," she'd said before taking off, leaving them alone.

After a few moments, Zelda hesitantly cleared her throat. "How are you?"

It was raspy still and looked painful to speak. Her eyes drifted to the bandage on Link's throat.

"I'm better. Thank you. You?"

"Better."

Link smiled. "Good. Good, I'm glad. You look good."

Zelda raised an eyebrow, biting her lip playfully. "Oh?"

"Uh… I mean physically." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, you don't look good physically. Well, no, that's… you do! You definitely do. I just mean… I'm going to stop now."

Zelda started to laugh, a sound that almost sounded normal. Or, well, he believed it was her normal voice. He'd never heard her without a creak to it.

"It's cute, don't worry."

"It's…?" Link let out a short breath and shook his head, covering his mouth as he sat forward to cover the red that was steadily creeping up his neck. "Thanks," he muttered instead.

"Your mom…" Zelda had to stop to take a drink, pausing for a moment to recover from the pain that seared her throat. "Your mom was telling me all about you."

If Link thought he was already red, it was nothing on the shade he'd turned after hearing that. "Was she?"

"She told me how you've been training for years. I suppose I'm grateful for your lack of free time all these years."

"In hindsight, I'm glad, too."

Zelda smiled as she tried to sit up, though she found herself gasping in pain.

"What? What is it?" Link asked quickly, standing up with his hands hovering helplessly over him, though he didn't know what to do.

She was clutching her side, rolling onto her back as she breathed deeply. "I forgot I hurt my ribs when I escaped. I'm okay. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. What can I do?"

"Nothing. Um, actually, distract me."

Link watched her for another moment before sitting back down. "Okay. Can I ask what happened to you? How did you end up here?"

"You brought me," she laughed before letting out a long sigh. "I was on a walk. My family is respected in town, and people knew who I was. They wanted to use me to get money, but apparently someone wanted me dead, too. I'm guessing to hurt my father. The Yiga do that. My mother died when I was born, so it's just my father and I at home, and I feel like my life is in danger all the time now. I should never have gone for that walk."

"Who were they? These Yiga people. Do you know?"

"You don't know the Yiga Clan?"

Link leaned back. "Oh, we're… secluded here."

"Apparently! Well, they're a group who insist that they have divine insight. They long to bring an old god back to life. What I have to do with it, I have no clue. But they think I have a connection somewhere."

Link pondered that. He didn't know much about old gods. The people of Lurelin were devout followers of the Three: Din, Nayru, and Farore. There were no others, as far as he was concerned.

Instead, he decided to change the topic.

"I could tell you were a noble."

She didn't seem to mind the shift. "Oh, could you?"

Link hesitated, but he steeled his courage and hovered his hand over Zelda's, giving her ample time to move away. But she just waited, watching him.

"Your hands are soft," he finally said, though that wasn't what had tipped him off. And, gods help him, he ran his thumb along her mesmerizing skin. The feel of it was so unlike everyone's here. They were relatively unused, uncracked, soft, pale. His were worn, tan, hard, calloused. He could hold a wooden harpoon or a sword without his hands even feeling it. But he imagined that if she came up against the friction of the wood for too long, she'd suffer easily.

"And yours aren't," she agreed, mimicking Link's movements. He stiffened as her fingers traced an intrigued pattern across his palm. "What happened here?" she asked, running along a large scar he had.

"Fishhook when I was ten. Went clean through." He flipped his hand to show her a smaller scar on the other side. "I guess it's kind of ugly, isn't it?"

She let go of him and sat back up, shrugging the shoulder of her shirt lower. Link stiffened, watching her in a trance, unsure what she was doing.

Finally, she pulled the rest of the fabric down just enough to reveal a very large scar running down from just under her collar. Link couldn't even guess how big it had been.

It was old, and well-healed, but still stood out.

"I was attacked by a boar when I was about fourteen. It got me twice with its tusks before they were able to get me away and take it down. We were just out in Hyrule Field. I should perhaps take this as a sign that I was meant to just stay home all the time. Now this is an ugly scar."

"No," Link said too quickly. "You survived a boar attack. That scar isn't ugly."

"Neither is yours."

Link smirked, grabbing his bowl and taking a long sip before looking back at Zelda. She looked so sincere, and her eyes bored into his, like she was looking straight through his skin and into his soul.

She reached out a hand, her nails brushing Link's neck. "What's this?"

He tensed up, a shiver rushing through him as her fingers kept brushing his skin. But they were wrapped around the rope that was tied around his neck. "Can I see?"

He swallowed hard but nodded.

She pulled the long rope out from under his shirt, staring at the animal tooth that was secured at the bottom. "What kind of animal is this?"

"Shark. It's a long story."

"Will you tell it to me?"

Link smiled at her eagerness but shook his head. "I'm well-known for keeping the details of that particular encounter under wraps."

She narrowed her eyes mischievously. "I'll get it out of you yet."

She adjusted the necklace so the knot was at the back of his neck, and tucked it back under his shirt.

His hand found hers, only their fingertips brushing.

Link swallowed. The whole thing was surreal. Zelda was a stranger. Few people would call Link "touchy", but he couldn't help the way his hand gravitated towards Zelda. And to his relief, it seemed she might feel the same.

"Link!" a small voice called.

Aryll burst into the room, looking immediately at their joint hands just a second before they'd pulled apart from each other. She smiled smugly. "Dad needs help hauling something. He said he's sorry, but it'll only take a minute."

Link glanced at Zelda, his look screaming that he didn't want to leave her.

"Go," she said hastily. "I highly enjoy your company, but you don't need to sit with me all day. Go do your things and don't worry about me."

He nodded, grabbing Aryll's shoulders. "This is my sister, Aryll."

Zelda beamed and nodded a happy greeting at the young girl. "Hello Aryll."

"Hi," Aryll whispered, too shy around strangers for much more.

Link ruffled his sister's hair, but he looked up at Zelda. "Would you mind if I stopped by again later? Or are you sick of me already?

Zelda shrugged happily. "I'd love if you'd come visit me, Link."

He nodded and followed Aryll outside.

"Do you like her?" she asked without preamble or restraint.

Link rolled his eyes, but turned for one more look at Maiamai's hut.

"Yes."

He made a face and realized he shouldn't. This girl was noble. She was going to go back where she belonged when she was well, and he'd go back to fishing and fighting.

He shouldn't like her.

But he was starting to realize that there were a few things in life that were simply out of his control.


Responses: James Birdsong: Thank you! Queen Emily: I would answer that, but I'm going to stay silent... because I don't know yet hahahah! zViridian: YES WELCOME BACK TO YOUR ACCOUNT! And thanks! Yeah, they're the Yiga, but up to last chapter, they didn't know. She is noble though, unfortunately. She's not royal though! SO that's like... part of a wish? Maybe?